I, for one, must say that this Allen Houston trade may be the worst trade posted in a long time. We would definitely be out of playoff contention automatically. We have to get outside shooters, but I think we have to compete athletically as well.
Allan Houston actually has 2 seasons of only 50 GP, not 1. He's more durable than I thought, but his knee condition (for a pure shooter) could be a career-killer. Not worth the risk. Not sure where you're getting the fact that he's a decent defender. He gets .68 SPG, .17 BPG. And if you watch him play, his defense is so amazingly bad... Horrible boarder. 2.9 RPG career avg...best year was 3.6 RPG. Stats don't tell the whole tale, but what we "gain" in offense doesn't nearly offset the defense (Steve's D is bad too, but not as bad as Houston's), rebounding, etc.
One of those was the lockout shortened season in which he played every game. Steals and blocks don't tell any of the story of how good a defender someone is, especially a wing player. Opponents PER takes into account everything that his man does. 15 is average. Steve's opponents have a PER of 16.3 and Houston's have a PER of 13.9, and that is without Yao and Cato shutting down the lane behind him. Steve's D is much WORSE than Houston's and at the second most critical defensive position. I have never understood the obsession people on this board have with guards' rebounding numbers. Who cares how many rebounds your guards get. That isn't their job. What we gain is a player who is a much better fit on offense, is better on defense, and possibly we trade our worst contract in Taylor and pick up a solid starting 4 who is also a better fit and costs less. Would this trade guarantee a title next season, of course not. Would it improve the team, IMO it would. That is why I think the trade is better than nothing. Sure you try to get McGrady, Allen, Brand, etc., but if that doesn't work out, this would be a decent worst case scenario.
